Communications Equipment Operators, All Other vs Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service: Salary, Job Outlook & Education | Career Matchup
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Communications Equipment Operators, All Other vs Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

Compare the evidence side by side. Career Matchup shows the source data without declaring an overall winner.

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01 · Compensation

Pay and employment

Median annual wage

2025

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other$54,680
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$38,630
71% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2011

Mean annual wage

2025

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other$62,130
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$42,300
68% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2011

Hourly median wage

2025

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other$26.29
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$18.57
71% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2011

Hourly mean wage

2025

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other$29.87
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$20.34
68% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2011

10th percentile annual wage

2025

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other$38,900
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$29,990
77% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2011

25th percentile annual wage

2025

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other$46,460
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$34,820
75% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2011

75th percentile annual wage

2025

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other$78,470
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$46,530
59% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2011

90th percentile annual wage

2025

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other$94,640
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service$59,470
63% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2011

National employment

2025

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other1,200
6% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service34,280
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
Release: May 2025 · Reference/year: 2025 · Occupation code: 43-2011

02 · Outlook

Employment outlook

Bars compare the same metric across the two careers. They are not an overall score.

Projected employment change

2025-2035

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other1%
6% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service-26%
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2011

Average annual openings

2025-2035

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other0.1k
6% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service3.1k
100% relative comparison

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2011

03 · Preparation

Education and training

Typical entry-level education

2025-2035

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherHigh school diploma or equivalent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering ServiceHigh school diploma or equivalent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2011

Related work experience

2025-2035

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Value missing or suppressed in source.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering ServiceNot available

Value missing or suppressed in source.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2011

On-the-job training

2025-2035

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherShort-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2099

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering ServiceShort-term on-the-job training

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Employment Projections
Release: 2025-2035 · Reference/year: 2025-2035 · Occupation code: 43-2011

04 · Context and fit

Work context

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Contact with others

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service5 raw · CX scale
100% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Time pressure

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service3.2 raw · CX scale
56% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Spend time standing

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.3 raw · CX scale
34% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Exposed to contaminants

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.1 raw · CX scale
27% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Exposed to disease or infections

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service1.7 raw · CX scale
17% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Exposed to hazardous equipment

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service1.1 raw · CX scale
2% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

04 · Context and fit

Skills

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Active listening

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service3 raw · LV scale
43% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Reading comprehension

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.9 raw · LV scale
41% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Speaking

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.9 raw · LV scale
41% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Critical thinking

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.8 raw · LV scale
39% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Monitoring

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.5 raw · LV scale
36% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Writing

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.4 raw · LV scale
34% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Active learning

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.3 raw · LV scale
32% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Learning strategies

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service1.9 raw · LV scale
27% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

04 · Context and fit

Work styles

Only compatible O*NET scales are compared together. Relative bars preserve the source scale interpretation.

Dependability

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.4 raw · WI scale
89% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Attention to detail

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service1.9 raw · WI scale
81% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Stress tolerance

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service1.4 raw · WI scale
74% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Cooperation

Communications Equipment Operators, All OtherNot available

Source metadata unavailable

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service2.1 raw · WI scale
85% relative

Source: O*NET Resource Center · O*NET Database
Release: 31.0 · Reference/year: August 2026 · Occupation code: 43-2011.00

Explore your next step

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other

Read the full profile, preparation, skills and source details.

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

Read the full profile, preparation, skills and source details.

  • Use the career comparison checklist

Sources

Each side retains the source release, reference period, occupation code, and file hash used for the comparison.

Communications Equipment Operators, All Other

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release May 2025 · Reference 2025

Occupation code 43-2099 · SHA-256 b5855a37f3e03e779f6fbf173d3bbc94aeeff33426aef32fa95ce6d025bab1af

Employment Projections

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release 2025-2035 · Reference 2025-2035

Occupation code 43-2099 · SHA-256 a7d060f0576f7d4f5b829b9a0bb4a6c11a12766d159ebb0e07aab5bd2e7583c5

Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Service

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release May 2025 · Reference 2025

Occupation code 43-2011 · SHA-256 b5855a37f3e03e779f6fbf173d3bbc94aeeff33426aef32fa95ce6d025bab1af

Employment Projections

Source-backed

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Release 2025-2035 · Reference 2025-2035

Occupation code 43-2011 · SHA-256 a7d060f0576f7d4f5b829b9a0bb4a6c11a12766d159ebb0e07aab5bd2e7583c5

O*NET Database

Source-backed

O*NET Resource Center

Release 31.0 · Reference August 2026

Occupation code 43-2011.00 · SHA-256 c63ad00a8e45f3d3ef8e1529fcf8864d2279f2dfcb98737436818f5664781b04

Read the data in context

Career Matchup does not declare an overall winner. National estimates can hide local variation, and O*NET relative values describe the named construct rather than whether a career is better.

Career Matchup is an independent comparison tool.

Data sourcesData availabilityAboutFree guideContactPrivacyTermsData: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET® Database.